Graphics: 46 farmers in Denver and other facts about Colorado food

In conjunction with its ongoing series about the future of food, Slate has created a pair of graphics that offer fascinating specifics about farmers in contemporary American life -- and here in Colorado.

Among the details: There are only 46 farmers in all of Denver County -- a statistical average of zero per 1,000 residents. Get details, and see the graphics, below.

Here's the first graphic, which shows the number of farmers in each county according to the U.S. Census Bureau, as well as the population and the number of people in the profession per 1,000 residents. Try it for yourself:

For those of you more text-oriented, here are the figures for twelve Front Range counties. Even in some of the largest, the totals can be surprisingly modest, with actual numbers frequently lower than those in rural counties with comparatively tiny populations.

By the way, Denver's 46 farmers is hardly the lowest number of any major city. According to Slate, San Francisco has the fewest, with six.

The second graphic depicts the crop value per person in each state. Colorado's is $421 -- higher than plenty of other states, but much lower than neighbors like Kansas ($2,383) and Nebraska ($5,037), not to mention North Dakota, which tops the roster at $8,153. Give it a try.

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Michael Roberts has written for Westword since October 1990, serving stints as music editor and media columnist. He currently covers everything from breaking news and politics to sports and stories that defy categorization.